At A Crossroads

As South Africa reinvents itself, its wineries look to the past as well as to the future

South Africa is a nation reinventing itself. Its wine industry is doing likewise, and one challenge it faces is to meet the future without abandoning the best of what has come before. It's a balancing act, and a difficult one. South Africa is making better wines than ever, thanks in part to new plantings of international blue-chips such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Yet much of its potential is rooted in its past, still hidden in old-vine vineyards. And much of that valuable history is now at risk. Wine Spectator's James Molesworth explains.

For the full article, check out the new issue of Wine Spectator, on newsstands July 2, 2013.

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